A question for non-Americans!

[meowchef]

A very large percentage of the best players in the world play in our baseball and basketball leagues. There is no need to start adding more teams in other countries.

...that is a silly conclusion to draw. The Spanish football league is probably the best in the world, and many of the best players from all over the world play for FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and the other teams. Does that mean that other countries just shouldn't bother having their own football leagues?

Look at it this way: unlike the US, other countries do not have college drafts, because we think that college is a place where smart people should go to learn, not athletes go to start a career. So, without FIBA, WFB and national leagues, where would scouts from US teams go to look for the next Dirk Nowitzki, Ichiro, Sammy Sosa or Manu Ginobili?

I'm not trying to say they shouldn't have their own leagues. I just mean I don't see the point of adding, say, a National Basketball Association team in Spain or China or Germany or Argentina or wherever when Pau, Yao, Dirk and Manu would just come to the US to play anyway.

I also think the players would complain way too much about the travel time.

 

[hutchy27]

No I don't care about it in the slightest, I'm not a sport watcher more of a player. I hate watching football and other sports like basketball etc but I enjoyplaying them.

 

[Sparrow]

I know it doesn't offer you much of an answer, but all I can think of when I re-read the question is: Pff, hell no.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Who?

Nope. I don't care about football (proper football, where you actually use feet) and I care even less about american football.

I might watch the Six Nations rugby if we get anywhere, but that'll be all my sporting tv this year...

 

[Canid117]

Are any of you planning on watching the Super Bowl? Do you care at all?

No to both of your questions. I am however watching the Six Nations (Rugby, IMHO a game that requires more physical and tactical strength than American Football, and flows better overall).

If you don't know, the six are Scotland (my country), England, Ireland, Wales, France and Italy.

Alba gu brath!

What no New Zealand? No Australia? No South Africa? Are you tired of the southern hemisphere taking all of the tops spots?


(I kid I kid but seriously please be respectful of all sports mentioned in this thread.)

 

[gh0ti]

Yeah I watched the Super Bowl. Been following the NFL for a couple of years now, though I'd say that it was only the past season when I've really understood what was going on. That's obviously the main problem with Gridiron for Europeans - it functions in an almost completely different way to our sports and many of the rules seem arbitrary.

I am a little surprised by the number of people who seem completely devoid of any sporting interest, though perhaps hardly surprising on a gaming website. What is strange is the level of vitriol a lot of the posters have replied with - the cynic in me might read something deep-seated into that.

In my view, soccer seems to be the only truly global team sport, as each continent has nations who are at the least competitive. Rugby and cricket are significant, but there are only a handful of elite teams. Tennis and Golf are probably more widespread, but again, historically, they've been dominated by individuals from a relatively small number of countries (or numerous countries from the same region).

 

[Coraxian]

Never have and most probably never will.

I only watch regular football sporadically (sometimes watch weekly football on sundays with my brother, some Champion's league and the likes and the world cup). Part of the time regular football is boring to me, but american football (tried to watch it once) is defenitly more boring to me, with all the stops.

I'll compare it with TF2. Imagine that the game halts every time a control point is taken, to give each team a chance to put a different set of players on the field. To me that would totally kill the mood and the flow of the game.

 

[Daffy F]

I'll respond with a question: Are YOU watching the Hurling final?

I am.
OT: I don't think many people outside of the states like American Football. We prefer football

 

[SFR]

Things like the Super Bowl are nation oriented. Well... especially the Super Bowl. American football in general is having individual states face off against each other (at least for the most part). As a result, it sort of creates conflict between fellow states (even though the fans have really nothing to do with it, but state pride exists, not just national pride).

What I mean is, non-Americans aren't suppose to be interested in it. That's not why it exists. I AM an American and I wasn't interested in it. But, the Super Bowl does sort of unify our country, even though what I just said pretty much contradicts that. It gets everyone to be lazy and sit on a couch for a single event. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples of this in most countries.

 

[trigger1992]

I'll respond with a question: Are YOU watching the Hurling final?

I wish I could, I don't suppose you know of any channels that show it England? (Although I have seen about 6 semis at Croke Park, which was amazing)

OT I saw a bit of it, and was bored senseless. How can anyone make 10 minutes of play last over half an hour??

 

[jigilojoe]

It's a travesty that the BBC show this and yet the Beeb, mean't to be the peoples TV station, aren't showing the England Rugby games. Fucking diabolical!

 

[Stammer]

I'm Canadian (which is as close as you can get to being American without being American) and I couldn't care less about American Football, let alone an overrated championship final.

Then again, I don't care much for sports in general. Call me a stereotypical Canadian but hockey is about the only sport I'll ever watch lol

 

[FoolKiller]

I've watched all but 2 Superbowls since XXII

 

[Fooz]

im from UK and i watched it, i love american football

 

[Mista Miggins]

What's the 'Super Bowl'?

 

[Blackality]

Didn't knew what that was before checking wikipedia.

People over here are more obsessed with football (or soccer, like you call it).

 

[tzimize]

Sports? xD

No. I know what it is. Barely. But I really dont care about it at ALL. Same goes for all sports. What a yawnfest.

 

[The_Emperor]

Sports are pretty boring.

No they're not. Billions of people around the world think that watching sports is rather more entertaining than playing video games. YOU find them boring - major difference. Please do not mistake your opinion for fact, mate - to say, for instance, "reading is stupid" is to insult everybody who likes to read. Same here.

American sports are boring and insular.

Maybe true for American football, but hockey, baseball and basketball are hugely popular in many places besides the US. Where do you think all those non-American players and stars (Czechs, Russians, Swedes and the odd German in the NHL, Japanese, Koreans and loads of Latinos in Major League Baseball, and people from all over the world in the NBA) come from?

Billions of people are wrong.

You know why there aren't any world cups for any of those sports you mentioned? It's because they are insular/boring and nobody wants to watch them.

Football is totally boring and is also my national sport. My nation is in error when they watch Football, as are the Americans when they watch Handegg.

Those who think gaming is boring are simply wrong, like everyone else who disagrees with me, this is a fact.


For future reference I know what an opinion is and I know I was stating mine, I don't want to have to write "in my opinion" infront or after every statement that I don't believe to be fact. Please refrain from being condescending otherwise expect me to retort in a beligerent manner.

 

[Arif_Sohaib]

If you watch the ICC Cricket World Cup then yes.
Why would anyone watch a game where only Americans are included. Cricket includes at least 11 countries.So even your baseball and basketball can't compete.

Um, you are aware of the fact that baseball is hugely popular around East Asia and Latin America, right? As for basketball, it's the second most popular team sport in the world after (proper) football - cricket isn't even close. Look at the MLB and the NBA - many players, including superstars from all over the world, play for American pro teams. ]

I am from Asia (South East Asia, Pakistan to be exact) and no one here even knows how to play baseball or what its rules are. I have heard that it is played in Japan and perhaps South Korea. However my point was that there are no international tournaments for those games so why would people from other countries bother watching if their teams aren't even playing?
Perhaps if there was an international tournament with national teams of different countries, we would watch.

 

[Booze Zombie]

No, I do not watch rugby-for-sissies.